Films you have to see: Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

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Ben Gazzara and James Stewart go head to head in Otto Preminger's courtroom dramaColumbia / The Kobal Collection

Kevin Maher

Last updated at 1:45PM, February 21 2012

Preminger’s courtroom masterpiece, featuring a memorable turn from the late Ben Gazzara, is the latest in our series

The most brilliant moment in the late Ben Gazzara’s entire acting career has
got to be his stint on the witness stand during the 1959 legal thriller, Anatomy
of a Murder. Here, playing Lieutenant Manion, a surly hard-headed
husband facing a first degree murder charge for killing the man who
allegedly raped his wife Laura (Lee Remick), he does an entire routine for
defense attorney Paul Biegler (James Stewart). “I, eh, I don’t remember
shooting him,” says Manion, all soft plaintiff eyes, and sad baby-doll pout.
He’s pleading temporary insanity, but it’s a nifty three-way turn. For not
only is